[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 996 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 996

To improve the Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program of the Department of 
                           Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 11, 2005

    Mr. Burns (for himself, Mr. Enzi, and Mr. Thune) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve the Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program of the Department of 
                           Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Road to Health Care Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF VETERANS BENEFICIARY TRAVEL PROGRAM.

    (a) Payments for Certain Additional Medical Care.--
            (1) In general.--Section 111(b)(1) of title 38, United 
        States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(G) A veteran whose travel is in connection with 
        treatment or care for a non-service-connected disability at a 
        non-Department facility, if the treatment or care--
                    ``(i) is provided upon the recommendation of 
                medical personnel of the Department; and
                    ``(ii) is not available at the Department facility 
                at which such recommendation is made.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall take effect on October 1, 2005, and shall apply with 
        respect to fiscal years after fiscal year 2005.
    (b) Calculation of Expenses of Travel.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, in calculating expenses of travel for purposes of the 
        Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program, the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs shall utilize the mileage reimbursement rates for the 
        use on official business of privately owned vehicles, as 
        prescribed by the Administrator of General Services under 
        section 5707(b) of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``Veterans 
        Beneficiary Travel Program'' means the program of payment or 
        reimbursement for necessary expenses of travel of veterans and 
        their beneficiaries prescribed under sections 111 and 1728 of 
        title 38, United States Code, and under any other provisions of 
        law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
        payment or reimbursement for such travel expenses.
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